Have you decided it is time to go the renewable route, but don't really know where to start?

SESSA strongly urges consumers to check company’s credentials and affiliations such as SESSA membership before making a choice.An up to date member listing can be found here.

In the past months, since Eskom’s crisis culminated in the worst load shedding in history, consumers have been embracing solar PV and solar water heating. The increased demand for these systems has seen solar companies and installers inundated with enquiries and seen many new companies and individuals appear in this market. As a result, SESSA has seen a massive increase in consumer complaints about faulty installations and substandard equipment in solar systems.

In this section we provide information on where to start,
some basic information on the different technologies and what you need
to take into account when deciding which route to take. We also provide
and FAQ section with tipps and what to watch out for.

Saving
money is often the main motive for investing in renewables and energy
efficiency, but the implications to the environment in terms of reducing
ones carbon footprint and especially increased supply security in times
of load shedding are also important factors to consider.

You can only save or replace by renewables the energy that you actually consume. If you and your family love cold showers, likely a solar water heater will not save you that much. So the first step should be to look at your energy consumption and where it is coming from. Make a list of your monthly usage and costs and note the average values per day for each month to account for fluctuations in billing cycles. If there are large deviations in the values per day, find out what the reason is (e.g. heating, pool pump cycle, time of use tariff, etc.).

Before you start comparing technologies and looking at prices, ask yourself these questions:

What am I trying to achieve?

How much money am I willing to spend to achieve this?

Is a return on investment important, and if yes what payback period am I looking for?

If you keep the answers to these questions in mind, it will help you stay on track and make an informed decision as to which route and technology to choose.